Untouchability, and the Hindus Who Refused It
Untouchability, and the Hindus Who Refused It
Lesson 34 established four features of ritual impurity, in Manu's own words: it is declared for all four varṇas, it is occasioned by an event, it lasts a fixed time, and it reaches a fixed degree of kinship. Universal, occasioned, temporary, bounded.
This lesson is about what happens when three of those four are removed.
Manu 10.4 draws the boundary: three varṇas twice-born, the fourth once-born, nāsti tu pañcamaḥ — there is no fifth.
Month 1
Untouchability, and the Hindus Who Refused It
Month 2 · Lesson 35. Manu's own scheme says there is no fifth group. This lesson is about the people it had no place for, what was done to them, and the Hindus who said no from inside the tradition.
5 min
This lesson belongs to Membership. The first six lessons stay free, always. Membership covers Lesson 07 onward, and new lessons as they are published.
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Membership covers Lesson 07 onward, and new lessons as they are published.